Understanding the Season in our Lives from King Josiah’s Life – Pastor Alan Tan from First Assembly of God, Kota Bahru, Kelantan

 

On 4^th of September 2015, Pastor Alan Tan of First Assembly of God in Kota Bahru, Kelantan shared about King Josiah – understanding the season in our lives.

There are four stages in Josiah’s life including the child king, the boy king, and the prophetic king, and the restorer king.

At eight years old, Josiah became child king following the assasination of his father king Amon. (2 Chron 33:24-25) And at 16 years old, he grew into becoming a boy king. (2 Chron 34:3)

Scripture says, “In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David.” (2 Chron 34:3)

Why is David referred to as Josiah’s father instead of his biological father Amon? This is because it was David, God made a covenant with, and not the other evil kings such as Amon and Manasseh. God’s eyes were kept on David.

“I became a Christian at sixteen years old. The world philosophies will tell you, ‘Come on man, you are too young to be religious. Why don’t you go and enjoy?’ But scholars told us that David was sixteen when he killed Goliath.

 

 

“So, never despise the days of your youth. Timothy was a young man called into the ministry under the mentorship of Paul. Paul says, ‘Be an example in faith, in words, and in deeds. Don’t let them look down on you.’ You are never too young,” said Pastor Alan.

Those who seek the Lord will lack no good thing. (Psalm 34:10) And Jesus says, “But seek first the kingdom and his righteouesness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33) He also says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)

“So, when Josiah seek the Lord, guess what happens? He found the Lord. If you seek the Lord, you will find Him. You will find what you seek for, that’s God’s principles.

“If you seek to find fault in each other, you will find fault because no one is perfect – faults in your husband, in your wife, in your church leaders, and in everybody – you will find it because that’s all you are looking for,” said Pastor Alan.

Likewise, if we seek spiritual gifts, we will find them. Paul says, “Eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit.” (1 Cor 14:1) Hence, if our church lacks spiritual gifts, that shows that we are not seeking enough.

If we have not found God, we have not seek Him enough. God says, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chron 7:14)

 

 

Without faith, it is impossible to please God. (Heb 11:6) But if we believe in God, He will reward us who seek Him like how He blessed King Josiah.

And seeking Him is not limited to only spiritual matters, but other life affairs as well such as seeking God’s direction at work, seeking a life partner, or seeking the next course in life to take. God is a very practical God.

“This is not all spiritual. If you seek Him and say, ‘You know God, I want to do Your Will, I want to know where I am going, I want to know which path to take.’ He will show you,” said Pastor Alan.

He shared how many people in his church, Harvest Christian Assembly, in Klang were experiencing the financial pinch of sustaining the children’s education overseas. Yet, God has blessed their business beyond what they required for the educational funds.

“Why? This is because they are looking at God. That is why there are so many dissapointments in our nations, because people are looking at what other people can do for them? But people will fail you,” said Pastor Alan. But God will never fail us.

King Josiah started to seek the Lord at 16 years old. Like Josiah, there is always a beginning for everything in our life. We got to start reading the Bible, praying, prophesying, and giving somewhere in our life.

 

 

Also, although King Josiah’s father and grandfather (Amon and Manasseh respectively) were evil, he did not blame his family history as a reason to not follow God.

And so, at 20 years old, King Josiah began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles, and idols. He tore down the altars of Baals, and he burned the bones of the priests on their altars. It was a huge task because Israel was deeply entrenched in idol-worshipping for more than a hundred years.

What King Josiah did not know is that he was fulfilling a prophesy made of him 350 years ago. A prophet was prophesying as King Jeroboam stood by the altar, saying, “Altar, altar! This is what the Lord says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.’” (1 Kings 13:1-2)

“You know when I read that, I summarize this: we have to live a prophetic life. We have to a prophetic generation. The church got to be prophetic. That means what we do is a fulfilment of God’s Word. You see, when Josiah did that, he didn’t know that he was fulfilling a prophesy,” said Pastor Alan.

For example, when the Holy Spirit fell during the Pentecost, Peter proclaimed that they were experiencing the fulfilment of a prophesy by prophet Joel. (Joel 2:28-32)

 

In the last days, God says,

    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,

    your young men will see visions,

    your old men will dream dreams.

Even on my servants, both men and women,

    I will pour out my Spirit in those days,

    and they will prophesy.

I will show wonders in the heavens above

    and signs on the earth below,

    blood and fire and billows of smoke.

The sun will be turned to darkness

    and the moon to blood

    before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

And everyone who calls

    on the name of the Lord will be saved.

(Acts 2:17-21)

 

 

“Peter had the idea when he saw all that was happening. Suddenly, that Scripture came to light, ‘This is what that prophet spoke about, it is the fulfilment of a prophesy.’

“You see, everytime you prophesy, everytime you see a vision, everytime someone calls upon the name of the Lord, everytime someone has a dream, they are prophetic. They are prophetic because it’s a fulfilment of the Word of God about the end time,” said Pastor Alan.

Prophetic gifts are meant to exalt and admonish people, with the goal of edifying and strengthening people. Unfortunately, today we criticize more than we prophesize. We allow the news or people opinions to dictate the way we should live instead of the Word of God.

“A prophetic church is not dictated by the affairs of a nation. A prophetic church looks ahead. A prophetic church is dictated by the Word of God, what God says and not what the world says.

“A prophetic church is led by the Spirit and not led by their emotions. A prophetic people will sometimes say things in contrast to what is happening around them.

“A prophetic people will see things differently. So, they will see, they will speak, they will hear, and they will even live their lives in direct contradiction to what’s happening around them,” said Pastor Alan. Are we a prophetic people living a prophetic lifestyle?

 

 

When Martin Luther broke the religious system of the church in Europe, he returned the people to the Word of God. Instead of centering around human rituals, the attention of the people were fixed at the pulpit where the Word of God was shared.

Before Reformation, the altar was central. After the Reformation, the pulpit was central. Now in the 21^st century, the stage is central. But today, the whole stage becomes central to modern worshippers with all the lightings, decor, smoke machine and large LED. We forget that beyond all these accessories, God is looking for worshippers in spirit and in truth.

“The prophetic voices say that we must go back to the time when Christ becomes central. You see when the enemy cannot have you, the enemy will mislead you with a substitution.

“I have been to Vietnam. There was no musical instruments except for one guitar there. Let me tell you: I have never felt such purity in their worship. Why? Because it came from the heart,” said Pastor Alan.

 

 

Finally, at 26 years old, King Josiah was the restorer king. He began to repair and to restore the temple. (2 Chron 34:8) In the midst of cleaning the temple, he found the Book of the Law. (2 Chron 34:15) And King Josiah took this opportunity to read the law to all in the nation. (2 Chron 34:29-30)

After that, King Josiah celebrated Passover having read the Book of the Law. It was said that the celebration had never been held in such a scale in Israel, since the days of prophet Samuel. (2 Chron 35:18) With God, he restored Israel.

“Have you ever lost things in your life? I have. Lost friends? Lost sleep? Lost valuable things? Lost your love? lost your peace? Josiah restored the temple, the Book of Law, the Passover, and the priesthood,” said Pastor Alan.

Like how God used King Josiah to restore Israel, God will also restore our lives. We have a God of restoration! God restored to Job twice of what he had lost. And as a Father, God is generous in restoring to us what we have lost.

If we were parents, would we only give to our children what they sufficienly need? As parents, we will give our children more than they need, because we want to bless them. Hence if we being evil know how to give good gifts to our children, what more our perfect Father in Heaven? (Matthew 7:11)

“How many of you believe that God can restore to you everything you have lost? The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But God comes to give life and life abundantly.

 

 

“The Church has been stolen of her glory, power, and anointing. The believers have been stepped upon and lost their authority and lost their joy. But God is saying, ‘I will restore, I will restore,’” said Pastor Alan.

In conclusion, Josiah knew the seasons in his life. He did what he could at different stages of his life.

 

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